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Sound and the Fury

Buttercup, SA’s favorite art-pop quartet, will get maximum mileage out of SXSW with three Austin gigs this week: an official SXSW showcase at the Co-Op Bar (400 E. 6th St.) on Wednesday, March 14; a blowout hosted by Saustex Media honcho (and Hickoids frontman) Jeff Smith at Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe) on Saturday, March 17; and a gig at Café Mundi (1704 E. 5th St.) on Sunday, March 18 at 5 p.m.

By the way, The Cup’s 3 p.m. Hole in the Wall performance will be immediately followed by a set from SA pedal-steel mavericks Snowbyrd. Also on the bill are Stevie Tombstone, Chris Brecht, Grave Danger, Pat Todd & The Rank Outsiders, and Lonesome Spurs.

All this activity coincides with a new, three-song Buttercup CD, the first in a series of three EPs the band will release over the next six months, before compiling the tracks (and some additional material) for a full-length release in the fall. ...

Even if he weren’t the youngest son of San Antonio legend Doug Sahm, Shandon Sahm would generate curiosity on the basis of his unusual résumé: late-’80s Austin metal band Pariah; the reconfigured Texas version of the Meat Puppets; a hard-rocking ’90s edition of the Sir Douglas Quintet; and a Gibby Haynes side-project excursion.

Left to his own impulses, Sahm leans toward an Iggy Pop-derived form of trash-rock, and his SXSW-week visit to Sam’s Burger Joint should make for a night of unbridled mayhem. Sahm will be at Sam’s on Saturday, March 17, with Masters of Love, The Far Cries, and Jason Gerard. Showtime is 8 p.m.

The night before Shandon’s visit, Sam’s Burger Joint will pay tribute to one of Doug Sahm’s favorite musical compatriots, saxophonist Spot Barnett, whose home burned down last month. The Spot Barnett Fire Benefit Show will feature Barnett and the Eastwood Blues Revue All-Stars. The show begins at 7 p.m., with a $10 minimum donation. ...

Local singer Azul Barrientos was recently invited to perform at the National Sor Juana Festival in Houston, opening for the internationally acclaimed Lila Downs and Magos Herrera. As a warmup for that high-profile March 25 event, Barrientos and her band will play a preview gig at Carmen’s de la Calle (720 E. Mistletoe) on Saturday, March 17. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. ...

Joseph Gamboa, convicted killer of beloved Taco Land owner Ram Ayala, was sentenced last week to death by lethal injection. The ruling came a week after Gamboa was found guilty of fatally shooting Ayala and doorman Doug Morgan, and wounding bartender Denise Koger. Jose Najera, Gamboa’s alleged accomplice, awaits trial.